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SOD Grapevine/Casting 2/4/08


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Y'all are too funny. I've enjoyed the special episodes on ATWT, but they really need to tie in with character and plot somehow. If the goings-on are presented as fantasies, that's fine. But what happened to Christmas '07 being the last big event show for a long time? :rolleyes: These people lie like there's no tomorrow. They have no money, they have no set budget, crews and actors have to be pared down, etc. Yet Carly and Gwen get new kitchens, and now a special episode is in the can!

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I would guess it's the lavish-ness of the Christmas episode we won't see again for a while. Corsets and weird hairdos and spending all that time and energy decorating the sets in Victorian feathers. I suppose a "fantasy" episode doesn't really require different sets. Say Barb's fantasy is all about having her loving children by her side...they could be anywhere...Gwen and Will's or a hospital room.

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Doesn't surprise me at all... especially seeing that Michael's finding clues left and right to clear Victor's name... David would have gotten away with it too if it wasn't for that "meddlin' kid' :lol: (I just got finished watching of all things, Scooby Doo...couldn't resist)....

Didn't someone say that he not that long ago signed a contract? If so, goes to show you, contracts mean absolutely nada....

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Yep, but as I've said before, in another thread, I have a feeling Josh Griffith, Steve Kent, and whoever else is working behind the scenes, is taking this opportunity to clear away alot of contributions, for lack of a better word, that LML has made to the show.

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You got that right! Shall we enumerate?

- Finally, movement and clarity on the David Chow storyline. He has a new identity, and a focused story arc (i.e., he needs money; that's why he is with Nikki). This either clarifies the character AND/OR it is the endgame of the character

- Jeff Bardwell--again there is movement and focus. His calls to Korea (where, coincidentally, Ji Min Kim is from) are mentioned. It opens the possibility that he is involved with that murder story...and that could be the endgame for Jeff.

- Jana, who languished in prison, is suddenly absolved of her crimes and released. I suspect that Jana might disappear, feeling "unworthy" of Kevin...or maybe 'cause she really IS a bad girl

- Amber's Marina storyline...universally reviled with comments like "Nobody can see through that disguise?"...ended yesterday. Marina, I suspect, was named after LML's young pet, Marina Alburger. Wiping that character away also wipes away a "legacy" of a new writer.

- John's fabricated will was wiped away a few weeks ago...so Gloria finally came into her money. That arc was long enough ago that it _could_ have still be set in motion by LML. But, nonetheless, it refocuses the show on the Jack-Gloria arc...which is where the real drama is.

- Victor is a suspect for Ji Min's murder. Yeah right! Who believes Victor could kill? NOBODY...which makes that story lame. This week, a sudden alibi witness appeared, and that story is over. Victor is out of the murder.

- It is reported that

- Victor and Nikki's divorce is over in a single episode...but not without classical fake-outs (a classic Bell tradition, where we see scenes that turn out to be fantasies before we see the actual scenes). The fakeouts establish that both Victor and Nikki WANT to be together...and that sets in motion the "yearning arc" which is the strongest story beat for these two.

- Ashley was re-tied to the show (three days around New Year's). Does anyone doubt that this may be opening the door for the back-burnered Eileen Davidson to leave B&B (where she was instantly damaged by being tied to Ridge Forrester...a fact she acknowledged on Y&R in her conversation with Jack, and attributed to her ongoing pattern to pursue unavailable men in 'fated' cyclical relationships) and return to Genoa City, where she belongs?

In addition, stylistically, we see the return to scene openers that focus on flowers/candles, longer scenes with extended dialogue between characters, lush instrumental music behind some scenes, and the classic pregnant pauses/reaction shots at the end of scenes. What is the cumulative effect of these conventions? Viewers have time to feel again...to react, to process. On Y&R, at least, it makes things seem much, much less superficial.

Finally, several characters have begun to act like themselves again...or at least in logical ways.

- Most notable (not necessarily an improvement) is Peter Bergman's Jack...who is sappy/sweet again, at least with Sharon. He didn't earn the nickname of "Aunt Jack" for no reason. Bergman's a great actor though, so he appropriately maintains his vinegar with Judith Chapman's Gloria.

- Nikki is a loving mother again (this started with the Clear Springs disaster...and it is one of the GOOD things to emerge from that stunt week). Nikki is not what she used to be...moping around at the ranch playing piano...but now her independence makes a little sense. She's not a sudden senatorial candidate, and she is not acting like Alexis Carrington

- Neil is back to being a stuffed shirt (he divorced Drucilla because she wanted to work out of the house), controlling Lily. That's Neil! He's not the suit-and-tie fella he used to be, but he's not the total "hipster" he had become either. Again, I'm not sure this is an improvement...but it's a return to classic Neil. Right down to his lapdog status for Victor.

- Brad, who became quite the villain under LML, seems to be staying in that mode. He's muscling for power at Newman, picking up stray chicks. I don't know where they are going with that.

- Sharon seems to be getting some integrity again. She has fully called it off with Brad to recommit to her marriage, FINALLY even saying "no, we can't be friends"...because she realizes that opens to door to some continued ambiguity.

- Lily is showing the independent streak that she used to have (ran away from home with Daniel; married him impulsively), rather than the "damaged little girl" she reverted to after Dru's death.

- even ghost-John or conscience-John, who was showing a pretty mean, taunting streak, is suddenly mostly compassionate and stern and truth talking. He clearly helps Jack make better, nicer decisions. That evokes the John we loved.

These are NOT a small number of changes by scabs.

These are MAJOR structural changes. Mind boggling that they have all been accomplished since 12/26/08. It feels like a TOTAL repair job.

Interestingly, it has been done in a way that does not feel (to me) choppy and inconsistent.

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IMO, it's the endgame. Once you establish that David is basically out for Nikki's money, redeeming him is, IMO, impossible.

I can see where you're going w/ Jeffrey and Ji Min's murder. However, I think David will turn out to be the culprit. In fact, I think David will turn out to be behind just about everything that's happened in the past year or so: Ji Min's murder, Plum and the disappearing (...and reappearing...and disappearing...) cash, Carmen's murder (and Inez's brief, strange appearance), the Clear Springs disaster, Nick's plane crash, and all those vague Newman Enterprises takeover attempts that LML would bring up occasionally, but never seemed to go anywhere.

OTOH, I suspect Jeffrey's endgame is coming from whatever happens w/ Gloria and Kevin's insane plot to frame him for her "murder." More than likely, he'll have to expose Gloria's tainted cream business in order to clear his name on the other charges...and that will expose Gloria once and for all, and bring Kevin back to being the town pariah.

I don't know why, but I see Jana coming to a very tragic end. IMO, she was much too emotionally fragile to be released from prison; and yes, even suicide is a possibility for her.

Yeah, and although I could be wrong about this, I don't think Amber/Adrienne Frantz is long for Genoa City, either. At this point, a Cane/Amber reunion is not happening. Without that (and now that she's been exposed), Amber has absolutely no reason to stay in town.

Without going into too much detail (hopefully, lol), I think this is definitely Griffith's idea. LML spent so much time on his disappearance, it seemed odd that she didn't see it all the way through.

I think Bradley Bell tried to make a place for her on B&B, but...B&B is a special show, and that cast is so tightly knit. It's just hard for newcomers to come in and make a strong impression.

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